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Today's News

  • Community Calendar Oct. 20

    Thursday, October 20

    ✔ TOPS IL 2490 will meet from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Ramsey. Weigh-in is from 9-9:30 a.m. For more information, contact Dovie Heaton-Bergin at 283-1729.
    ✔ Maranatha's Salon, Spa and Tanning will hold a Keep Abreast/Spread the Love event to raise funds for a digital mammography machine at Fayette County Hospital. The event will include a cut-athon from 3-6 p.m. and a drawing at The Copper Penny at 7 p.m. Prizes include an iPad2, Botox, a day of beauty at the spa and a Glo Mineral and Therapeutic give-away.

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  • Many pay tribute to fallen officer

    Evan D. Burns grew up in Vandalia. He was a member of the Vandalia Community High School football and basketball teams, and also wrestled before he graduated in 2001.

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  • Fire destroys home Saturday

    A rural Vandalia home was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning, with the residents of the home escaping after being awakened by breaking glass.
    Vandalia’s volunteer firefighters were called to the home of Monica Harre and Brian Brown at 8:09 a.m.

    Firefighters arrived at the Shafter Township residence, located northeast of the Shrine Club, at 8:25 a.m., and found the home fully involved in fire.

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  • Well: AYP goals are not realistic

    Students in the Vandalia School District showed improvements in standardized test scores in math and science this year, but according to the state’s current yardstick, the district is failing.
    Superintendent Rich Well begs to differ.
    “The reality is that the goals they have set are a setup for failure,” Well said at Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Vandalia Board of Education. “We improved our scores this year, but we didn’t meet the state’s standard – which goes up by 7.5 percent each year.”

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  • Gallatin work about done

    The streetscape work in the 700 block of West Gallatin Street is so far ahead of schedule that the Vandalia Lions Club’s Halloween parade can follow its long-standing route.
    Mayor Rick Gottman told city aldermen on Monday that the general contractor for the project, Mettler Development of Highland, has only some minor work left on the project for the time being.
    The contractor will be able to finish the project when the period street lights arrive at the beginning of December.

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  • Speaker lists suicide warning signs

    As Dr. Elizabeth Ladin-Gross talked to area students and parents last week about suicide, she was speaking from experience.

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  • Senior Spotlight: Morgan Stinebring

    EFFINGHAM – By the time this season is finished, Brownstown senior Morgan Stinebring will have her name littered among the statistical leaders since coach Toby Harms took over the program in 1998.

    As the team’s primary setter, Stinebring, who has started since her freshman season, is already the school’s all-time leader in assists, with 687 through Monday, and is in the top five in several other categories.

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  • Vandalia makes playoffs for first time since '08

    On the night they were honored for their years of dedication to the team, several seniors made big contributions last Friday night to a 20-14 win against Pana, which gave the Vandals an automatic berth to the football playoffs for the first time since 2008.

    “We told them at halftime, ‘Seniors, hopefully not, but this could be the last time you play on this field,’” said coach John Stout. “‘Think about all the times you have played on this field since fifth grade.’

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  • Swofford gets 12th, Leiken 29th at state

    Two Vandalia juniors participated in the state golf tournament this past weekend, and both came away with top-30 finishes.

    Blake Swofford finished in a tie for 12th place at the boys tournament, and RaeChelle Leiken finished in a tie for 29th on the girls side.

    Leiken, who was making her third overall appearance at state, but her first at the Illinois state tournament, said she was disappointed in her finish at Red Tail Run Golf Course in Decatur.

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  • Vandalia gets big win in Wollerman's final home game

    The night was all about the team’s lone senior, and by the end of the night, every varsity player that entered the game had given her a fitting tribute.

    Haley Wollerman has never missed a game in her four years with the Lady Vandals and has never taken a play off during a game. And by playing with that same desire, all her teammates helped lead Vandalia to a 25-19, 28-26 win last Thursday against Taylorville in Wollerman’s final home game.

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